JB Hi-Fi Now to soon be a thing of the past

From 'Now' to 'Then'

It’s hard out there for a music streaming service, which is why JB Hi-Fi has announced that its own Spotify competitor, JB Hi-Fi NOW, will be closing down on March 17, 2016.

In an message posted on the JB-Hi-Fi NOW website, the service explained that subscriptions “will remain active up until 17th March following which you will no longer be able to stream music.”

This marks the second digital service that the retailer has shuttered in less than a year, with its JB Hi-Fi NOW Books service shutting down in September last year.

The day the music died

Though it’s offering refunds for paid days beyond the upcoming cutoff period, the service “will no longer be taking any direct payments, new subscriptions or renewals from 17th February 2016.”

The retailer has also assured customers with JB Hi-Fi NOW gift cards that they can either obtain refunds, or trade them in for in-store credit.

As for JB Hi-Fi NOW users’ prized playlists, the retailer vows not to leave its customers in the dark – the service will be providing users with a list of their “favourites, mixes and queue lists to make the transition to a new streaming service easier.”